New Hyundai Santro: 10 things you DON’T know about

Hyundai has launched one of the biggest comebacks in recent times – the Santro. The hatchback has been positioned between the entry-level Eon and the Grand i10 with the price starting from Rs. 3.89 lakhs. Did you know that the base variant of the Hyundai Santro does not offer an AC but it offers standard features like driver-side airbag and ABS+EBD? Here are ten facts about the Santro that you don’t know about.

Gets two types of interiors!

The all-new Santro gets two different types of interior colour coordination. The Santro gets a dual-tone dashboard with black-beige as standard colour and golden inserts on it. The golden highlights can be seen on around the centre console, AC direction controller, gear lever surrounds and so on. However, there is a special Diana Green variant that gets colour coordinated interiors. It gets green highlights on the centre console, AC fan knobs, buttons and gear lever perimeter. Even seatbelts are green in this version, giving it a much sportier look.

A lot cooler cabin

Hyundai has always tried to offer more than the competitors in the market. With the Santro, Hyundai has done the same and has offered an AC vent in the rear for the first time ever in the segment. A rear AC vent ensures optimum comfort for the rear passengers and also helps in cooling the cabin a lot quicker.

Segment-leading rear seat width

The Hyundai Santro gets the segment-leading rear seat width, which ensures maximum room for the rear passengers. Most of the cars in the segment can accommodate three occupants in the rear seat but it is not a very comfortable position. The all-new Hyundai Santro offers 886mm of rear legroom and 1,310mm of shoulder space in the rear seat making it most spacious in the segment. Three adults in the rear seat? No problem!

Most reliable AMT

Unlike all the competitors, Hyundai has developed the Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) unit in-house. It is also much more reliable than the other AMT units out there. Why? Because the Santro uses electrical actuators, making it the only AMT vehicle in India to get that. The electrical actuators are more reliable than the mechanical ones and have much lower chances of failing.

Less distance per litre

Indian customers love to know the fuel efficiency and are likely to pick up products with higher fuel efficiency. Hyundai launched the Santro with an only petrol engine and it is powered by the 1.1-litre four-cylinder engine that generates a maximum of 68 Bhp and 99 Nm. It has an ARAI-rated fuel efficiency of 20.3 km/l, which is lower than the Maruti Suzuki WagonR, which returns a maximum of 20.5 km/l and Tata Tiago petrol that returns a maximum of 23.84 km/l.

Unconventional power window switches location

The Hyundai Santro offers all-four power windows in the high-end variants. However, it may take some time before you figure out how to operate the windows. The power window switches are located in the centre-console unlike the door pads in many other vehicles. This makes the door pads thinner, which in turn provides more space.

The highest level of peace of mind

Peace of mind is often related to the duration of the warranty and other factors in a vehicle. Hyundai went one step ahead and is offering segment-first 3year/1 lakh km warranty as standard. That’s not all, Hyundai also offers 3 years of standard roadside assistance with the Santro, which means the highest level of peace of mind when going for long-distance trips.

Lowest maintenance

Hyundai claims that over a period of 5 years or 50,000 km, the average yearly period service is only Rs. 2,276. That’s shockingly low for any car. As per Hyundai, this is the lowest price that you would pay for maintaining car from this segment.

Not cheaper than Grand i10!

Hyundai has just launched the Santro and due to the high demand on the vehicle, there is no discount available on the model right now. With the ongoing festive season going on, the older Grand i10 is getting a lot of discounts, making it even cheaper than the Hyundai Santro. For example, in Chennai, the on-road price of the Hyundai Santro Asta is Rs. 6.38 lakhs while the Grand i10 Sportz retails at Rs. 7.08 lakhs. However, there is a discount of Rs. 59,000 on the Grand i10, making it cheaper than the Hyundai Santro. As per CarPal website, the EMI of Santro comes out to be Rs. 8,904 per month while the Hyundai Grand i10 is available with a monthly EMI of Rs. 7,708 for 7 years.

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Features for the young

The Hyundai Santro is the only vehicle in the segment that offers Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in the segment. There is Renault Kwid with the touchscreen-based infotainment system in the segment but the Santro offers easy phone connectivity option. It also offers ECO coating that prevents bacterial accumulation in the AC system.